Training Camp Battles: Principles Office

We are less than a month from the start of NHL Training Camps and I thought I’d take the time to talk about one of the biggest battles heading in the Los Angeles Kings pre-season. No, I’m not talking about who is going to be the 3rd line right winger for the Kings or if Terry Murray will finally be able to solve his Power Play woes… no, I’m talking about a real one-on-one battle for the coveted roster spot of smartest Los Angeles Kings Blog!

A few days later, on August 3rd, the hockey blogging world was talking about the colossal Shea Weber arbitration deal… and Surly & Scribe stayed on point… relating it to their on-going Drew Doughty contract negotiation information. And Quisp… from the incredibly insightful and meticulous, but awfully named LA Kings fan-written blog Jewels From the Crown… chimed in with his thoughts on Surly & Scribe’s assessment of the Weber contract and its impact on the potential Doughty contract.

Quisp wouldn’t let the Shea Weber – Drew Doughty contract comparisons from Surly & Scribe go… and few days later he (I’m assuming Quisp is a “he”… aren’t most Kool Aid Men “he’s”?) counter-argued what Surly & Scribe had said about what Quisp had said about what they had said… or was it the other way around???

And then on August 10th… all hell broke lose… when official beat reporter and paid employee for the LA Kings, Rich Hammond, woke up from his summer nap with his update on the Doughty negotiations:

This is the off-season after all… and the curious use of the pronoun “we” set Quisp and Surly & Scribe afire with discussion. Surly & Scribe struck first with their interpretation of the way Dean Lombardi used “we” and how it relates to their Drew Doughty contract predictions:

And a few hours later… Quisp struck back… but not just on Surly & Scribe’s interpretation of “we”… but also on their use of the noun “principle” and their claim of being rumor soothsayers:

Now again, we have to remember that this is the middle of August. So besides the Doughty contract there isn’t much to talk about in the world of the Los Angeles Kings… except for the raging alcoholic former captain that was recently traded to the team. But if Quisp and Surly and/or Scribe were to run into each other in the LA Live parking garage just outside of Staples Center… I’d imagine it’d go something exactly like this…

I think we can all see where this Kings fan blogger fight is heading…

Because 2 days after Surly & Scribe set the hockey world on its side with their report that a 7 year… or 9 year, 52 million… or 50 million deal offer was on the table for Doughty… Quisp decided to go on the attack… and take a closer look at the rumors that Surly & Scribe have been passing along:

And naturally… within minutes… Surly & Scribe responded… BY COMMENTING DIRECTLY ON THE QUISP BLOG ATTACK ON THEIR RUMOR RECORD!!!! Shit… just got real, yo.

Right now, it’s nearly 11pm on the West Coast… and it seems like the gunshots have ceased… for the night. I think all Kings fans who read Kings fan-written blogs will think of today as a sort of Kennedy Assassination or September 11th type event… the day the Kings fan-written blog innocence died.

“Bloggers killing bloggers… when will it stop?”

Obviously, Quisp and Surly & Scribe are incredibly intelligent and well-spoken gentlemen that I gather may be involved in the legal field in terms of their profession due to the intricacies of their blog postings. (Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy and I have been trying to figure out what Quisp’s real job is for 2 years now. That dude really knows his CBA.) But as the loyal Royal Half reader will attest… their sites are missing one thing… and one thing only…

Surly & Scribe and Quisp declaring war on each other for who has the more accurate depiction of the Drew Doughty contract negotiations is like me declaring war on Kingscast for who is the goofier and more absurd Kings hockey blogger… obviously I will win. So what say you, Kingscast? Fire up that stupid little video camera of yours and make a precious little tape about your love for the Kings. Because I can totally do better by creating a parody movie poster involving a current player. Suck it, nerds!